Africa-Press – Angola. The ministers of the productive sector were at the National Assembly on Monday to talk to the deputies about the figures and programs in the proposed General State Budget for the financial year 2023.
The economic team, headed by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, Manuel Nunes Júnior, countered the questions raised by the deputies of the 5th Specialty Committee of the National Assembly, who addressed their concerns about the Budget.
On the occasion, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, when answering the question about the Local Content Law, highlighted that it is being implemented in line with the partners represented by the associations of the sector and by the entrepreneurs themselves, being necessary take into account the state of the world oil industry.
As for the expectations of the National Geology Plan (Planageo), they explained that geology is a dynamic and continuous work, and the plan will not complete all the necessary studies to improve knowledge of the country.
He detailed that Planageo results in thematic maps for a macro scale, which is a work that is almost concluded, with results, followed by the infrastructure component already concluded.
He explained that three laboratories were built, in Luanda, with 196 geoscientific devices, as well as a center for valuing ornamental stones in Lubango, Huíla province, and a laboratory for analyzing micro diamonds, which was built by Endiama, in Saurimo. (Lunda Sul).
He made it known that, at this time, the country does not need the samples for analysis of micro diamonds to be made outside the country, being a practical result of all these investments by the State, at the level of Planageo, to the companies Angla América, Rio Tinto and De Beers used
He pointed out that the country has some gold production and, soon, other minerals may start to be produced.
Diamantino Azevedo said that the sector foresees that the Saurimo Development Pole will continue to be implemented, “we expect to build around 20 factories in this complex in this mandate and increase the number of jobs. If all goes well, we will launch the Dundo Development Pole”.
He assured that, at this time, Catoca is responsible for 80% of Angola’s diamond production.
The Minister of Energy and Water , João Baptista Borges, highlighted that the Government continues to make investments in the sector throughout the country, to change the current scenario, and should “look at the forest and not the tree”.
He stressed that the country’s electrification rate is 43%, and the electrification strategy followed is to serve those areas with the greatest population concertation.
He added that the strategy is to electrify the outskirts of the big cities, the municipal headquarters and then the communes and villages, because there is a greater number of beneficiaries.
“Today, we are gradually moving from basically thermal energy, which is expensive, to more beautiful energy, to be cheaper and with that there is a greater possibility for beneficiaries to pay, with a reduction in technical and commercial losses”, he said.
For his part, the Minister of Economy and Planning , Mário Caetano João , explained that the 50 billion kwanzas, under the heading of goods and services, are expenses of his department for the remuneration of employees or for goods and services. The amount allocated, of more than 30 billion kwanzas, detailed that they are expenses related to the preparation of the 2024 Census.
“We would like, with approximately 10 billion kwanzas from the PREI, to be able to speed up the entire formalization process, as we have about 80% of our workforce in the informal economy, and the expense related to the PREI can be seen with flavor the recipe”, he emphasized.
He added that formalized economic operators are potential tax payers.
He highlighted the existence of a financing value chain, which starts with micro credit, ranging from 50 thousand kwanzas to 7 million kwanzas, resources from the Credit Support Program of approximately 41 million kwanzas.
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